Strategic Report

Myanmar farmers are already experiencing the consequences of climate change, and we understand it represents some risks and business opportunities as well.
We are, therefore, working to develop new solutions based on a more circular economy, such as organic fertilisers, and are looking to invest in reducing our energy costs.

We were mostly driven by a simple purpose: enabling better farming practices that would benefit first farmers and communities all across the country

Dear readers,

Myanma Awba Group will celebrate its 30th anniversary in April 2025. When we started building in 1995 what would become Myanma Awba Group, we were mostly driven by a simple purpose: enabling better farming practices that would benefit farmers and communities all across the country. Our contribution relied on two key components: fostering access to better products and solutions, and ensuring that Myanmar farmers could obtain seamless access to knowledge and expertise.

Fast-forward 30 years, and today, the Group can rely on the expertise and commitment of 2,700+ staff serving Myanmar farmers every day through our extensive network of 4,600+ distributors across the country. We have invested in building our Group’s industrial and technological capacity, developing the expertise of our agronomists, and launching new solutions to facilitate access to finance for Myanmar farmers and businesses through our subsidiaries MAHA and Zega, for example. We continue to invest: last year, we allocated 7 billion MMK to improve our existing production lines, develop a new manufacturing plant to produce bio-fertilisers in the Yangon Region and build a state-of-the-art corn drying facility in Shan State, which a Dutch company will use. This will allow us to create more value locally: farmers will benefit from new products and solutions that will be more affordable and climate-friendly, leading to higher profits for them and their communities. This will also allow us to develop local capacities and help us be less vulnerable to the numerous disruptions that could impact international trade, making our Group more resilient and future-ready.

Our Group’s sustainability also relies on our capacity to adapt and transform our decision-making. For Myanma Awba Group to thrive 30 years from now, we should start working on succession planning. As a family-owned business, we will strengthen our corporate governance practices, which we believe will be a crucial business enabler. This will be one of our focus areas for 2025: we are planning to establish a new Board of Directors and to have a more structured approach.

We will also focus on improving our approach to health and safety. Last year, we recorded a tragic accident: one of our colleagues lost his life during a road accident when he was on duty. Since then, and as we are expanding our efforts on safety across the Group to ensure that all our staff are working safely, I have decided to create a group-wide Sustainability Committee, led by our chief sustainability officer, to accelerate and structure our sustainability efforts across the Group. In 2025, the main focus of the Committee will be on safety, as we are all committed to ensuring that we can all work and return home safely every day.

Despite all the challenges we face, everyone at Myanma Awba Group is driven by the same purpose that has fueled me. This sense of purpose is a precious North Star as we navigate turbulent waters. For us, being transparent and accountable is essential to managing something extraordinarily precious: the trust of our stakeholders. We are not perfect, and we might still have a lot of work to do, but you can count on each and every one of us to work hard to build a better Myanma Awba Group.

Please do not hesitate to contact our chief sustainability officer if you would like more information about this report or have some feedback. This will help us improve our programme. We thank you in advance!

U Thadoe Hein
Group CEO

Making Myanma Awba Group a better company

Sustainability is not a gimmick for us. Agriculture relies on natural capital to thrive: without pollinators, healthy soils, and water, farmers cannot cultivate their crops, keep people employed in rural areas, or generate a profit to sustain livelihoods.

We also aim to ensure that the farmers use all our products responsibly to minimise the environmental impacts of our products as much as possible.

Our sustainability team

In 2022, our Group CEO also appointed our first Chief Sustainability Officer. As a member of our Group’s Executive Committee, he is tasked with engaging with all the business functions and units on sustainability. He is also responsible for leading our efforts on health and safety and corporate communication. Our chief sustainability officer is supported by a team of two staff members and can count on the support and expertise of a local consultancy.

How did we structure our approach to sustainability?

In 2021, Myanmar Awba decided to structure its approach to sustainability. Led by the Group’s CEO, this project involved all our business functions and units. A new sustainability officer was appointed, and the Group partnered with a local consultancy to help us

In 2021, Myanmar Awba decided to structure its approach to sustainability. Led by the Group’s CEO, this project involved all our business functions and units. A new sustainability officer was appointed, and the Group partnered with a local consultancy to help us

The result is a strategy that enables us to transform Myanmar Awba Group to make it more future-ready, responsible and sustainable – in short, better. The Better Myanmar Awba plan articulates four pillars and is centred around nine core priorities, as shown below:

Agricultural Solutions that benefit Myanmar’s farmers

Workplace to empower our staff

Business Practices to foster sound relationships with our partners

All together to create a prosperous Myanmar

Four pillars of our sustainability strategy

BETTER AGRICULTURAL SOLUTIONS

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP

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Agrochemical products and seeds are essential in uplifting farming communities. However, as a responsible company, we focus on:

• Developing new and more organic products and solutions
• Receiving all the necessary approval from the relevant Myanmar authorities before introducing and selling our products to ensure full compliance with all necessary standards and norms
• Enhancing product formulation and safe use
• Offering training by our experts in the responsible use of our products
• Considering the life cycle of our products to minimise their impacts – we will consider various options to responsibly manage the disposal of containers and old inventories, for example.

LIVING PLANET

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Farmers rely on natural capital to cultivate their crops: bees and soils. Without them, it is impossible for farming communities to sustain themselves and prosper. As Myanmar is one of the countries most exposed to the consequences of climate change, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and safeguarding Myanmar’s ecosystems.